Always a pleasure and education, Stan, to hike with you throughout God's beautiful countryside. Please continue to take us along in 2024, which I hope is an especially good year for you.
Hello Stan, thank you for posting this video as it brings back memories of visiting Yellowstone in 1997 and observing the Lamar pack from the road. As a life long devotee (for at least the past 40 years) to everything regarding wolves I had never known the location of the original wolf pens until now. It is somewhat of a shame that the pens have fallen into disrepair given their historical significance. I can only imagine the pride that Doug Smith and others had as they anticipated the release of those wolves into Yellowstone. It was a thrill 'to hike along with you' on this one.
Seconding these comments. I also saw the wolves during the first few years and didn't know where pens were, even though I visited the YS Institute to discuss the wolf program with Doug Smith (with a group). Seeing the crates was interesting. I love all of Stan's videos but this one is a special treat!
Emailed you last spring on this one and found it pretty easily. We hiked it during the first week of June and Lamar Valley was loaded with bison. Thanks again for the help Stan.
That snow sounded very cold! Thank you for showing this much revered area. I had no idea that the pens were still there. A shame they have not maintained them. Absolutely breathtaking scenery!
Stan , that’s sad seeing this was not kept up. If the gov. Don’t keep it looking nice then they should just remove the fencing & boxes & take it out completely. 🥺☹️
i am not sure when you made this video, but i am in awwweee at the amount of snow on the ground. we too haven't had much yet. i know a storm is coming next week, its been a nice mild winter in michigan, but i also know we need the snow. hopefully we all get whats needed soon.
I grew up working on my grandpa's ranch in Wyoming. In the '70's we put bails of hay together with wire (called bailing wire). Then in the '80's (if I were to guess) we switched to string. Ask around it might be something else, but...
Ive done this hike! Saw my first golden eagle. And ended up having lunch in the pen with Joanna Lambert who was involved in the recent wolf reintroduction in Colorado. Love it there.
There were three acclimation pens: one at Crystal Creek, one at Soda Butte Creek, and this one. The other two were removed, but my understanding is that this one was left for visitors to come and see. It'll be interesting to see if in the next 20 years there are any moves to patch it up, remove it, or leave it as is. I'm pretty sure in 2045 it'll fall under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Thanks Stan. It is to bad they don't either keep up the old pens or dismantel them. They are bocoming nothing more than litter. Really takes away from the beauty of the surroundings. 😢
Very cool. I live in Colorado and NW Wyoming is my favorite area. Huge fan of the winds. I was against reintroducing wolves in Colorado to many threats imho. Colorado is NOT Wyoming and I love wolves. I hope I am wrong but I think it will be very difficult to make it work in Colorado.
Nice....I was fortunate enough to hike up there in 2007 with an awesome Institute Guide. Its an amzing part of the Park's history. I hope they never remove it like the others. Always enjoy your videos...
I remember stumbling on to wolf re-introduction pens somewhat similar to these in central Idaho near Redfish Lake in the 1990's when on a family camping trip. Both Idaho and Yellowstone Park reintroduced wolves about the same time as I recall.
It seems like the bridge won't be finished for a while. I think different workers handle different tasks. So one crew will come in the clear the land, another will build the supports, another will lay all the metal and so on. They should really clean up the wolf release area. Either keep it nice for future use or remove it. It's just becoming more garbage upon the land at this point. Out of sight out of mind. And really a waste of money. But interesting to see in your video.
The last time I was there was in 2012 and they were working on that bridge then, based on that I don't see it being done any time in the next few years.
Why hasn’t the NPS removed those acclimation pens! That was nearly 30 years ago, and the pens are just melting into the ground. The NPS has strict standards for resource degradation that should apply to them as well.
No. But it seems like people see antlers everywhere and pick them up and place them along the trail instead of leaving everything in its natural place.
I love being in Yellowstone via your videos. Greatly appreciate your sharing it with us. Not sure who you have talked to in the Yellowstone Eco System but the Canadian Wolf never should have been introduced into the park. The original wolves in Yellowstone were smaller. They were not taking down the livestock in the area. Park rangers have finally admitted that it was a mistake. Talk to ranchers in WY and now CO and surrounds states. They are doing more harm than good. It is not fair to the Canadian wolves as it was not their fault to be brought into the park. A very bad decision for all concerned. Leave Mother Nature alone and quit letting the government play God!
There are some very good videos by Doug Smith on the Yellowstone website where he explains all of those issues that you mentioned. Thanks for your comments.
Been afraid to go into the Colorado mountains because of bears mtn lions and definitely afraid now we got wolves and they don't tell us where they let them loose
